I've been wanting a small camper to pull behind my truck or my wives SUV. The prices for small campers seems a touch outrageous but it's pretty cheap to get a SUV with the front end smashed. My thought was to get a SUV and cut off everything in front of the windshield and add a tongue. From there all that would be needed would be to strip it and maybe lower it if possible. I was thinking you could even get a small tent that folds out of the back of the SUV camper. I think if you covered the windshield with sheet metal the rest of the windows would hold up.

Am I overlooking a reason that this wouldn't work well? Brakes seem potentially difficult but you could potentially do surge brakes?

You could change to electric brakes, but I’d consider buying some sort of flatbed trailer and build on top, some type of old car trailer would be great.

Honestly, as a builder, i hate these projects. If it is your dream i fully support you. But for all the effort and fiddling around youll still be trailering another vehicle. Why not just sleep in the one you have. Or at the least, get a wall tent and wood stove. You wont have to trailer a thing and storage is minimal. It will also have more room. To rip apart an SUV and make it into living quarters that youll tow around sounds cramped, hard, and not wort the money you’ll throw down

The new cost of the camper sucks, but you will have a resale value some day, you will have no resale value with your modified suv, people need to think about that when you home build something or build a cheap house, all that sweat equity you have in it and you still have a cheap house or project

Look for an enclosed trailer, already has a title. Then build as you want. Campers are built terrible. Look at the ones going down the road, wavy fiberglass. They almost all leak. I have one, already rebuilt the slideout because it wasnt built right from new and rotted out. Put a new roof on and repaired the front and back wall due to water damage.

Yes. Enclosed utility trailer. Easy to work with and waterproof!

The problem with the new camper idea is two fold.

1. A small hard sided camper is $20,000+ which is kind of obscene and I don't feel they will hold resale very well
2. Build quality seems terrible.

The main reason I was thinking SUV route was that it would be sturdy. A used banged up SUV is cheap and I liked the thought of hard sides and quick setup. An enclosed trailer may be the better way to go, worth considering and I already have one I use very occasionally for work.

It's not my dream by any means, just a thought I had on a cold, windy, rainy day.

You could customize an enclosed trailer to your liking pretty easy .

Or wall tent and stove it ..... pretty awesome on longer camp outs

Strip down an old PU Truck and cut off the cab crap, mod the front frame into a tongue, put a camper on it. You can buy a10x10 or 20 canopy to set up on the tailgate end for more room.

I don't think OR and MN have similar weather, do they? A wall tent with a heater in 40 degree lows is a lot different than minus 20 degree lows.

I have an enclosed trailer I converted into a trapping trailer/camper. Insulated with 1 1/2" foam insulation and put in false walls and ceiling.
Dual 110 V circuits, dorm size refrigerator, three windows, window in the back door for air conditioner, roof vent.
Use it when trapping and fishing out of state. Heated with a 1,500-watt electric space heater and have kicked the covers off when it was -5
outside. Full coverage insurance is $85 a year. Plates are $18 a year.
Considering my investment 8 years ago it has doubled in value!
Roy

https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/7705656/re-cargo-trailer#Post7705656

Ol dad

I would buy a small trailer and start there ,

Do you want 4 seasons? Just summer? 3 seasons? Your question is pretty vague. For what a junker fall apart new camper costs You could build a sturdy go anywhere anytime camper from a flatbed trailer. have to watch. a lot of flatbed trailers start out as junk too.

Friend has a horse trailer he converted and it is awesome!

Buy a motorcycle camper. Fits perfect behind a suit or tacoma.

I Use the K.I.S.S. method. As Roy G. did. You tube, dig a Hole. I do not need fancy. 2015 Bravo works for me. Tut

I guess if you are looking for a fun project that's one thing but frankly You would be way better off just taking the money and buying a used travel trailer or, if you just want a place to sleep, a used enclosed trailer.

I converted a small cargo trailer into a hunting trailer and camped in it many times.